Have you ever wondered what it would be like to completely restore an old abandoned home? Well that's exactly what this sassy little southern woman is doing with a late 1800's Louisiana dog-trot. Follow along as I renovate my family's beloved historic home on a shoestring budget. Restoring a piece of American history doesn't have to be expensive, so long as you aren't afraid to use a little elbow grease.
Wanna get in touch with me? Email jacs(dot)lewis(at)yahoo (dot)com.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

HELLO AGAIN from SUGAR CREEK, LOUISIANA!

I'm baaaaack, y'all!

For those of you who do not know me personally, I should probably go ahead and mention why there has been absolute, unwavering silence from my blog during the past six months. Things have been interesting, to say the least.

During the past half year, THE HOUSE AT SUGAR CREEK has come a long way. Unfortunately, I couldn't share the progress with you because I've been going through a major life change.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't quite sure how (or when) to announce that I, Jackie Lewis, am restoring this house on my own. I didn't know how to casually mention that there is no more "we" in this renovation. The truth of the matter is that I'm restoring this house all by my dang self now, as a single momma on a mission to live in the most unique house she has EVVV-AH seen, and it has taken me six months to make certain that I am, indeed, capable of performing such a major feat. I didn't want to log on to the internet, throw a few words on this blog that talked about how excited and enthused I was about the project, only to discover later that I had bitten off more than I could chew. So instead, I went silent. I shut my mouth and stayed away from this restoration blog.

And in the blogging world, six months is a very long time to be silent.

I really NEEDED to make certain that I felt comfortable sharing my crazy journey with y'all. I had to discover that I am capable of finishing this house on my own. And after much thought, a few rounds of frustrated tears, and hundreds of hours of very, very hard work, I've finally decided to share my lovely little dog trot house with you again.

DISCLAIMER:

Things will be different on my blog from hereon out. In short, I'm a red-headed gal on a mission to complete the most inexpensive (and yet GORGEOUS) restoration in the history of the rural, ragged south. I'm intent on proving, once and for all, that it's not only possible to save gorgeous pieces of American of history, but it's also incredibly economical. I'll be sarcastic and witty at times, and really frustrated at others. I'll cuss like a sailor if the mood strikes me, and I'll not bat an eyelash when it's time to post about failed projects. (Believe me, I've had plenty of those in the past six months!) But if you want a little inspiration in your life and you're not afraid of diving into my crazy world for a bit, then you and I will get along just fine.

Over the past six months, I've come to realize that the restoration of THE HOUSE AT SUGAR CREEK isn't just about painting wood, refinishing floors, and polishing worn surfaces. Yes, I'm restoring this house. I'm working my ass off and it's one of the most liberating experiences of my life. I'm learning to do EVERYTHING on my own, from drywall mudding to operating air-powered nailers, and I cannot wait to teach you everything that I've learned. I can't wait to show you that it's not only possible to restore a historic abandoned home all by ya dang self, but it's one of the greatest (and most brilliant) experiences that you will ever have. In short, I'm a busy single momma, hell-bent on restoring this formerly abandoned historic house. But there's another really amazing component to this renovation that I didn't quite understand when I first saw this old homestead two years ago. Yes, I'm happy to say that I am restoring this house. But I'm even happier to admit that this house is restoring ME, too.

Six months ago, I was afraid that I had bitten off more than I could chew. I stared at the drywall in the living room and worried that I might not be able to tape, float, and mud. I felt a tightness in my chest and knew that I had two choices: either 1) allow the anxiety, fear, and worry to consume me and prevent this house from being restored, or 2) decide that it's time to be the same kick-ass woman that I've ALWAYS been, only take it up a notch or two by adding power tools and MAJOR construction into my daily life.

The decision was easy.

I chose to be a kick-ass southern woman.

And there ain't a doubt in my mind that YOU can buy a historic, abandoned house and learn to be a kick-ass southern woman, too. (OR a kick-ass southern gent if you'd prefer.)

Wonderful that you are back! I've been coming back from time to time, just look if you have written something new. Today was finally the day! I love your house and your project, .. I'm crazy about American architecture. I have my own slow-going project to renovate the old house to myself cottage. (https://sites.google.com/site/puuhapaikka/)Unfortunately, the pages are written in Finnish...

Thanks so much, Satu! It's lovely to "meet" you! I wish you the best of luck on your project, and I'll be keeping up with you (the best I can with the English/Finnish language barrier) through your blog. ~ hugs ~

Jackie - I googled dogtrot style houses this morning searching for a simple homeplan that I might be able to afford myself. I am looking at massive changes in my life and trying to decide what comes next for me.

I will be adding this wonderful blog discovery to my bloglovin follow list.

So glad I found a redheaded southern girl with a lotta sass and spunk.

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The House at Sugar Creek

Here is our pre-renovation photo of our darling dog-trot before we begin the restoration process. Feel free to watch us transform her back to her original glory. These gorgeous old homes are disappearing at an alarming rate, and we hope to inspire you to take on a similar project of your own!

Would you consider beginning a project like this one?

What a view!

Few things in life are as relaxing as a lazy summer evening spent on a front porch listening to the whipporwhil call and the crickets chirp. The view from this upstairs window gives you a peek into the beauty of nature that we will see every single day of our life at Sugar Creek.

Unique Features

What do we love about this home? It's unique features, of course! Here is a pre-restoration picture of the rounded celilings in the upstairs bedrooms. It's just one of the dozens of touches that made us fall in love with The House at Sugar Creek.

HISTORIC PHOTOS of THE HOUSE

We've just been given copies of old family photos taken at The House at Sugar Creek! Here is a tiny sampler of things to come... we'll post them and talk more about the history of the house very soon.

Coke Bottles from the Root Cellar

It's hard to imagine what life would have been like in the eras before air conditioning and refridgerators. Food was kept in root cellars, hidden away underground where temperatures were cooler and water did not evaporate in the mid-summer sun. Dog-trots were built into the center of homes as a way to filter the breeze. Our little dog-trot is an example of both breezeways and root cellars, and we were delighted to find the original jars of preserves and old bottles still hidden away beneath the ground. Here are a few tiny pieces of our home's history that we found tucked away in the root cellar.